Blackburn (UK Parliament constituency)

Blackburn
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons

Outline map

Boundary of Blackburn in Lancashire.

Outline map

Location of Lancashire within England.
County Lancashire
Population 107,246 (2011 census)[1]
Electorate 72,112 (December 2010)[2]
Major settlements Blackburn
Current constituency
Created 1955
Member of parliament Kate Hollern (Labour)
Number of members One
Created from Blackburn East and Blackburn West
18321950
Number of members Two
Type of constituency Borough constituency
Replaced by Blackburn East
Blackburn West
Created from Lancashire
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency North West England

Blackburn is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Kate Hollern of the Labour Party.[n 2]

Constituency profile

It has elected Labour MPs since its re-creation in 1955.

Boundaries

The constituency encompasses the town of Blackburn in the North West of England. It borders four other constituencies: Ribble Valley to the north, Hyndburn to the east, Rossendale and Darwen to the south and Chorley to the west.

Following the review of parliamentary representation in Lancashire, including the unitary authority of Blackburn with Darwen in the run up to the United Kingdom general election, 2010 the Boundary Commission for England made minor boundary changes to the existing constituency.

The electoral wards in the Blackburn seat fought at the UK general election in 2010 were entirely within the district of Blackburn with Darwen.

History

For more details, see the Politics section of the Blackburn article.

Blackburn was first enfranchised by the Reform Act 1832, as a two member constituency, and was first used at the 1832 General Election. It was abolished for the 1950 General Election, when it was then replaced by two new single member constituencies, Blackburn East and Blackburn West.

Blackburn was re-established as a single-member constituency for the 1955 General Election, partially replacing the Blackburn East and Blackburn West constituencies which had been created only five years earlier. After its re-establishment in 1955, the constituency was initially a marginal, but Blackburn is now considered to be a Labour Party stronghold.

2005 General election

Blackburn's MP, Jack Straw, was challenged in the 2005 General Election primarily again by the Conservative Party but the former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray also stood for election in Blackburn. Murray said: "I've been approached by several people in the Asian community who are under huge pressure from Labour activists [talking up the BNP's chances] to apply for a postal vote rather than a ballot vote and then hand their postal vote over to the Labour party." Over 50% more people used postal votes in the 2005 General Election in Blackburn than in 2001.[3] Unlike in 1997 and 2001, the BNP had a candidate, who polled 5.4% of the vote.

2015 General Election

In August 2011, Jack Straw announced he had no plans to retire, despite hitting 65 earlier that month.[4]

On 25 October 2013, Straw announced that he would stand down as Blackburn's MP at the next election.[5] In March 2014, Kate Hollern was selected, via an all women shortlist, as the candidate for Labour for the 2015 General Election, and held the seat.

Members of Parliament

Two-member constituency (1832–1950)

Election 1st Member[6] 1st Party[7]

[8][9]

2nd Member[6]2nd Party
1832 William Feilden Liberal William Turner Liberal
1841 Conservative John Hornby Conservative
1847 James Pilkington Liberal
1852 William Eccles Liberal
1853 by-election Montague Joseph Feilden Liberal
1857 William Henry Hornby Conservative
1865 Joseph Feilden Conservative
1869 by-election Henry Master Feilden Conservative Edward Hornby Conservative
1874 William Edward Briggs Liberal
1875 by-election Daniel Thwaites Conservative
1880 Sir William Coddington Conservative
1885 Sir Robert Peel Conservative
1886 William Hornby Conservative
1906 Philip Snowden Labour
1910 Sir Thomas Barclay Liberal
1910 Sir Henry Norman Liberal
1918 Percy Thompson Dean Coalition Conservative Coalition Liberal
1922 Sir Sydney Herbert Holcroft Henn Conservative National Liberal
1923 John Duckworth Liberal
1929 Thomas Harry Gill Labour Mary Agnes Hamilton Labour
1931 Sir George Sampson Elliston Conservative Sir Walter Dorling Smiles Conservative
1945 Lewis John Edwards Labour Barbara Castle Labour
1950 constituency abolished: see Blackburn East and Blackburn West

Single member constituency (1955–present)

ElectionMember[6]Party
1955 constituency re-established
1955 Barbara Castle Labour
1979 Jack Straw Labour
2015 Independent
2015 Kate Hollern Labour

Elections

Elections since 1955

Election Political result Candidate Party Votes % ±%
General Election 2015 [10][11]
Electorate: 73,251
Turnout: 43,999 (60.1%) –1.8
Labour hold
Majority: 12,760 (29.0%) +8.3
Swing: +3.7% from Con to Lab
Kate HollernLabour24,76256.3+8.5
Bob Eastwood Conservative12,00227.3+1.1
Dayle Taylor UKIP6,28014.3+12.2
Gordon Lishman Liberal Democrat9552.2−13.0
General Election 2010 [12][13]
Electorate: 72,331
Turnout: 45,499 (62.9%) +5.2
Labour hold
Majority: 9,856 (21.7%) +2.2
Swing: +1.1% from Con to Lab
Jack StrawLabour21,75147.8+5.7
Michael Law-Riding Conservative11,89526.1+3.5
Paul English Liberal Democrat6,91815.2-5.4
Robin Evans BNP2,1584.7−0.7
Bushra Irfan Independent1,4243.1N/A
Bobby Anwar UKIP9422.1−0.2
Grace Astley Independent2380.5N/A
Janis Sharp Independent1730.4N/A
General Election 2005 [14][15]
Electorate: 72,707
Turnout: 41,805 (56.9%) +1.4
Labour hold
Majority: 8,009 (19.2%) −3.7
Swing: 1.9% from Lab to Con
Jack StrawLabour17,56242.0−12.1
Imtiaz Ameen Conservative9,55322.9−8.3
Tony Melia Liberal Democrat8,60820.6+12.5
Nicholas Holt BNP2,2635.4N/A
Craig Murray Independent2,0825.0N/A
Dorothy Baxter UKIP9542.3−0.6
Graham Carter Green7831.9N/A
General Election 2001 [16][17]
Electorate: 72,611
Turnout: 40,284 (55.5%) −9.5
Labour hold
Majority: 9,249 (22.9%) −7.5
Swing: 2.9% from Lab to Con
Jack StrawLabour21,80854.1−0.9
John Cotton Conservative12,55931.2+6.6
Imtiaz Patel Liberal Democrat3,2648.1−2.4
Dorothy Baxter UKIP1,1852.9N/A
Terry Cullen Socialist Labour5591.4+0.1
Jim Nichol Socialist Alliance5321.3N/A
Paul Morris Independent3770.9−0.1
General Election 1997 [17][18]
Electorate: 47,501
Turnout: 47,501 (65.0%) −10.1
Labour hold
Majority: 14,445 (30.4%) +19.4
Swing: 9.7% from Con to Lab
Jack StrawLabour26,14155.0+6.6
Sangheeta G. Kaur Sidhu Conservative11,69624.6−12.9
Stephen J. Fenn Liberal Democrat4,99010.5−1.0
David P. Bradshaw Referendum1,8924.0N/A
Tina Wingfield National Democrats6711.4+1.4
Helen Drummond Socialist Labour6351.3N/A
Robin Field Green6081.3−0.3
Margo Carmichael-Grimshaw Keep Britain Free and Independent Party5061.1N/A
William John Batchelor Common Sense Sick of Politicians3620.8N/A
General Election 1992 [19][20]
Electorate: 73,251
Turnout: 54,978 (75.1%) +0.2
Labour hold
Majority: 6,027 (11.0%) +0.2
Swing: 0.6% from Con to Lab
Jack StrawLabour26,63348.4−1.5
Ross M. Coates Conservative20,60637.5−2.6
Derek Mann Liberal Democrat6,33211.5+1.1
Robin Field Green8781.6N/A
Margo Carmichael-Grimshaw Lodestar Party3340.6N/A
William Ayliffe Natural Law1950.4N/A
General Election 1987 [21][22]
Electorate: 74,801
Turnout: 56,035 (74.9%) −0.3
Labour hold
Majority: 5,497 (9.8%) +3.4
Swing: 2.3% from Con to Lab
Jack StrawLabour27,96549.9+5.2
Anne Cartner Cheetham Conservative22,46840.1+0.7
Mohammed Akbar Ali Social Democratic5,60210.0−4.4
General Election 1983 [23][24]
Electorate: 76,078
Turnout: 56,784 (74.6%) +0.5
Labour hold
Majority: 3,055 (5.4%) −8.8
Swing: 4.4% from Lab to Con
Jack StrawLabour25,40044.7−6.0
Graham C.S. Mather Conservative22,34539.4+2.8
Eric B. Fairbrother Social Democratic8,17414.4+2.7
David A. Riley National Front8641.50.0
General Election 1979 [25]
Electorate: 52,479
Turnout: 38,813 (73.96%) +1.03
Labour hold
Majority: 5,490 (14.15%) −5.2
Swing: 2.6% from Lab to Con
Jack StrawLabour19,68350.71−0.75
Ian D. McGaw Conservative14,19336.57+4.5
Frank J. Beetham Liberal4,37111.26−0.7
Edward Adamson National Front5651.46−3.0
General Election October 1974 [26]
Electorate: 54,213
Turnout: 39,537 (72.93%) −6.3
Labour hold
Majority: 7,652 (19.36%) +4.4
Swing: 0.9% from Con to Lab
Barbara CastleLabour20,34451.46+3.1
Ian D. McGaw Conservative12,69232.10−1.3
Frank J. Beetham Liberal4,74111.99−2.0
John Kingsley Read National Front1,7584.45+.04
General Election February 1974 [27]
Electorate: 53,767
Turnout: 42,049 (78.21%) +2.7
Labour hold
Majority: 6,300 (14.98%) +8.5
Swing: 4.3% from Con to Lab
Barbara CastleLabour20,34048.37−4.9
Ian D. McGaw Conservative14,04033.39−13.4
Frank J. Beetham Liberal5,89114.01N/A
John Kingsley Read National Front1,7784.23N/A
General Election 1970 [28]
Electorate: 55,875
Turnout: 42,210 (75.54%) −3.8
Labour hold
Majority: 2,736 (6.48%) −10.1
Swing: 6.1% from Lab to Con
Barbara CastleLabour22,47353.24−6.1
Trixie Gardner Conservative19,73746.76+6.1
General election, 1966 [29]
Electorate: 54,911
Turnout: 43,514 (79.2%) −1.8
Labour hold
Majority: 7,248 (16.6%) +1.6
Swing: 1.6% from Con to Lab
Barbara CastleLabour25,38158.3+1.6
Thomas Marsden Conservative18,13341.7−1.6
General election, 1964 [30]
Electorate: 57,034
Turnout: 46,193 (81.0%)
Labour hold
Majority: 6,893 (15.0%) +9.4
Swing: 4.7% from Con to Lab
Barbara CastleLabour26,54357.5+4.7
John Maurice Armstrong Yerburgh Conservative19,65042.5−4.7
General election, 1959 [31]
Electorate: 60,362
Turnout: 51,846 (85.89%) +2.8
Labour hold
Majority: 2,866 (5.6%) +4.6
Swing: 2.3% from Con to Lab
Barbara CastleLabour27,35652.8+2.3
John Maurice Armstrong Yerburgh Conservative24,49047.2−2.3
General Election 1955 [32]
Electorate: 62,548
Turnout: 51,993 (83.1%)
Labour win
Majority: 489 (1.0%)
Barbara CastleLabour26,24150.5N/A
Thomas Marsden Conservative25,75249.5N/A

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1939/40: Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

General Election 1945
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour John Edwards 35,182 26.0
Labour Barbara Castle 35,145 26.0
Conservative Douglas Glover 26,325 19.5
Conservative RG Parker 25,807 19.1
Liberal Robert Shackleton 6,587 4.9
Liberal Marjorie Annie Macinerney 6,096 4.5
Turnout 82.6
Majority
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Majority 8,820 6.9
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935 Electorate 85,818
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative George Sampson Elliston 37,932 26.2
Conservative Walter Dorling Smiles 37,769 26.1
Labour James Bell 34,571 23.9
Labour G H Walker 34,423 23.8
Turnout 144,695 84.9
Majority
Conservative hold Swing
Majority 3,198 2.2
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1931 Electorate 86,824
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Walter Dorling Smiles 50,105 33.2
Conservative George Sampson Elliston 49,953 33.1
Labour Mary Agnes Hamilton 25,643 17.0
Labour Thomas Harry Gill 25,030 16.6
Turnout 150,731 87.4
Majority
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
Majority 24,310 16.1
Conservative gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929: Blackburn (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Mary Agnes Hamilton 37,256 26.1 +4.3
Labour Thomas Harry Gill 35,723 25.0 +3.2
Unionist Sir Sydney Herbert Holcroft Henn 35,249 24.7 -3.4
Liberal Gerald Rufus Isaacs 34,504 24.2 -4.1
Turnout 87.8 -0.4
Majority 474 0.3
Labour gain from Unionist Swing
Labour gain from Liberal Swing
General Election 1924
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal John Duckworth 31,612 28.3
Conservative Sydney Henn 31,347 28.1
Labour Mary Agnes Hamilton 24,330 21.8
Labour Thomas Harry Gill 24,317 21.8
Turnout 111,606 88.2
Majority 7,017 6.3
Unionist hold Swing
Majority 7,282 6.5
Liberal hold Swing
General Election 1923: Blackburn (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal John Duckworth 31,117 29.1 n/a
Unionist Sydney Herbert Holcroft Henn 28,505 26.6 +1.1
Labour John Percival Davies 25,428 23.8 +2.1
Labour Edward Porter 21,903 20.5 -0.6
Turnout 85.0 -3.4
Majority 3,077 2.8 +0.1
Unionist hold Swing
Majority 5,689 5.3
Liberal hold Swing n/a
General Election 1922
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Sydney Henn 28,280 25.5
National Liberal Henry Norman 27,071 24.4
Labour John Davies 24,049 21.7
Labour Edward Porter 23,402 21.1
Liberal Thomas Meech 8,141 7.3
Turnout 88.4
Majority 3,022 2.7
Unionist hold Swing
Majority 4,231 3.8
National Liberal hold Swing

Elections in the 1910s

Henry Norman
General Election 1918: Blackburn
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal 32,078 41.4
Unionist 30,158 38.9
Labour Philip Snowden 15,274 19.7
Turnout 74.8
Majority 14,884 19.2
Unionist gain from Labour Swing
Majority 16,802 21.7
Liberal hold Swing

Elections in the 1870s

Blackburn by-election, 1875[33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Daniel Thwaites 5,792
Liberal Mr Hibbert 4,832

Elections in the 1860s

By-election, 31 March 1869 Blackburn[7][34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Edward Hornby 4,738
Conservative Henry Master Feilden 4,697
Liberal J. G. Potter 3,964
Liberal John Morley 3,804
General election, 1868: Blackburn[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative William Henry Hornby 4,907
Conservative Joseph Feilden 4,826
Liberal J. G. Potter 4,399
Liberal Montague Joseph Feilden 4,164

See also

Notes and references

Notes
  1. A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
References
  1. "Blackburn: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  2. "Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  3. Could the election be won by fraud?, Robert Winnett and Abul Taher, The Sunday Times, 10 April 2005
  4. "Jack Straw has no plans to retire despite hitting 65". Lancashire Telegraph. 14 August 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  5. "Jack Straw to step down as Labour MP for Blackburn". BBC News. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 3)
  7. 1 2 3 Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 49–50. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
  8. Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 76. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.
  9. Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 92. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  10. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  11. "Blackburn". BBC News. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  12. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. "UK General Election results May 2010". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  14. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. "UK General Election results May 2005". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  16. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. 1 2 "UK General Election results May 1997 and June 2001: Blackburn". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  18. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  21. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. "UK General Election results June 1987". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  23. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  24. "UK General Election results June 1983". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  25. "UK General Election results May 1979". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  26. "UK General Election results October 1974". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  27. "UK General Election results February 1974". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  28. "UK General Election results 1970". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  29. "UK General Election results March 1966". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  30. "UK General Election results October 1964". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  31. "UK General Election results October 1959". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  32. "UK General Election results May 1955". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  33. "Blackburn Election". Jersey Independent and Daily Telegraph. 2 October 1875 via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required (help)).
  34. "Election Intelligence. Blackburn". The Times. London. 31 March 1869. p. 4, col F.

External links

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